Chapter Text
Camila Noceda hadn’t seen her life going in the direction that it did. Sure, she had planned to become a veterinarian and was even thinking about eventually opening her own practice.
No, the thing that she wasn’t prepared for was to be a single mother.
Luz wasn’t planned, she was the result of a late night of post-exam partying and a one-night stand. Camila thought nothing of the night, just thinking of it as a wild, university experience. It wasn’t until she had gone to the doctor, complaining of various issues that she learned she was a month pregnant. To make matters worse, Camila had no idea who the father even was.
Despite how hard it would be, Camila completed her program, gaining her doctorate. A few months after that Luz was born.
She was everything to Camila; her soft chubby face, bright curious eyes, and a giggle that could melt the heart of even the fiercest monster. Camila’s family fortunately had been ok with her getting pregnant and were all very willing to help in any way they could. Luckily her family was very well off, meaning she didn’t have to worry about monetary issues when it came to Luz. This helped a lot as it meant she could give her daughter the best possible life she could, and she aimed to do that.
And now it’s been a little over three years since Luz was born. Camila was spending her time between working at a small vet clinic, taking care of Luz, and relaxing. This generally meant that there was very little time for stuff like dating, but Camila didn’t really mind that. She was happy with it just being her and Luz for now.
Luz in the short few years she’d been alive had proven to be a troublesome little hellion. Incredibly curious, deceptively clever for her age, and not to mention worrisomely quick for a fat little toddler. Camila knew that if she didn’t keep an eye on Luz while they were out, the little troublemaker would run off and make a mess.
That brings us to the more current situation. It’s a brisk summer day, the kind where you can tell that the talons of fall are preparing to sink in. Not quite chilly, still quite sunny, but the feeling is there.
Camila sat with Luz in the yard, watching her as she ran around playing excitedly. She was currently pretending to be Azura, The Good Witch. Camila had let Luz pick out a book for Camila to read to her, and she had picked out a graphic novel adaptation of the first book in the series. Camila could tell how much Luz loved the series and was sure that when the time came, Luz would want to get the actual novel.
So, Camila watched Luz play, taking not of the fact that the toddler had a surprising flair for the dramatic. It was at this moment that she felt her cell phone buzz. She only took her eyes off Luz for a few seconds, it was her work calling asking if she could come in on the weekend to discuss some stuff. After letting them know that she should be able to do that, she turned back to her daughter.
Except Luz wasn’t there…
Luz had disappeared.
In a panic, Camila shot up. She scanned the nearby surrounding area for any sign of her bebé.
After a moment of worried searching, she spotted the quick-footed tyke. She was currently running after something, her small legs toddling quickly in pursuit of whatever caught the kid’s attention.
As soon as Camila caught sight of Luz she was after her, sure Luz was fast, but she was also running with a pair of toddler legs. Unfortunately, this only meant that Camila could catch up to Luz but wasn’t able to grab her. So, Camila found herself chasing whatever had caught her daughters’ attention alongside her.
It was a small owl…
Carrying a sack…
Filled with various junk and trash…
Honest, that wasn’t that weird for Gravesfield. The town had always had a tendency for the weird and abnormal. Anyone that had grown up or lived here for more than a few years knew that stuff that could be considered supernatural lurked beneath the surface. But still, the little bird had caught Luz's attention and now they were following it. For some odd reason, Camila felt compelled to follow the bird regardless of Luz. It just gave her a gut feeling that doing so would lead to something…
Whether it be good for both she and Luz remained to be seen.
Eventually, the two chased the Owl to a small shack in the woods, only a couple minutes from their home. The building wasn’t dilapidated, but it wasn’t pristine either. It showed signs of wear and tear from the weather and time.
And against Camila's better judgment, she and Luz followed that Owl into the shack. As they ran through the door frame everything changed.
***
Eda was living a good life, sure she ran from the law constantly, and sure she was cursed. But you want to know what she had. She had complete freedom, not having to answer to anyone but herself.
And with that freedom meant she got to do whatever her heart desired, which in this instance was trying to sell some of the human trash she had collected to various folks in the market today. It was admittedly a slow day, Thursday usually was, but still. It had been hours and barely anyone was looking at her stuff. Though she guessed it wasn’t all bad, a slow day also meant the guards weren’t looking toward her with as much interest.
“Hoot”
She heard Owlbert return, dropping off a large bag filled with a mini treasure trove of various human artifacts to sell. Giving the small owl a light petting she twisted him back onto her staff.
That though wasn’t the only thing that she had brought with him…
It took Eda a second to register what was happening when she felt something run into her leg, then clamp itself onto said leg.
Looking down she was met with the face of an awestruck toddler. She had dark freckled skin, a round chubby face, messy curly hair, and two big curious eyes that stared at Eda with wonder. Eda had to admit the little rascal was kind of cute. Eda despite not thinking she’d be great with kids still genuinely had a soft spot for them.
“Luz!”
A voice caught Eda's attention, snapping her gave away from the small child clutching her leg to the person that had just spoken.
What she was met with caused her heart to stop.
She quickly surmised that this was probably the kids’ mom and that the kid was named Luz. What she wasn’t prepared for was the feeling she would get when she set eyes on the mysterious woman.
She was shorter than Eda, but the clear tell-tale signs of strength could be seen even under a healthy layer of fat. A soft gentle air surrounded her, giving her this feeling of warmth and comfort. She had dark freckled skin like her kid, and a cute button nose, that turned upwards slightly. Strong well defined laugh lines. Dark brown curly hair pulled into a messy ponytail. And eyes the colour of warm chocolate; the gaze of which sent a shiver down Eda's spine with a feeling she couldn’t quite place…
Camila on the other hand wasn’t prepared for what she was about to run into when she chased Luz who in turn had been chasing a tiny little owl. They stepped into a smallish tent, with various bits of junk and trash sorted into various piles. She quickly saw Luz dart out of the tent in pursuit of the owl. She followed suit.
As Camila did so she found herself in a place that was both fantastical and frightening. Where no matter where she looked her eyes found themselves gazing upon any manner of strange and bizarre creatures and individuals. And when she briefly glanced towards the sky, she found it not to be blue, but instead vibrant purples and oranges.
At that moment her mind went back to all the old stories her family would tell. Of a place of magic and wonder; of beasts and demons. A place that was both wondrous and dangerous. Over the years Camila gradually forgot about those old tales, letting them be pushed to the recesses of her mind. But now standing in this place she felt those stories flooding back. Had they been true this whole time? She would need to speak with her family about this…
And then she saw the woman in front of her.
She was taller than Camila, well over 6 feet even without the heels. Her face was sharp and angular with equally sharp features. She was incredibly foxy, both attractiveness-wise and in build. A look of speed and cunning, mixed with underlying strength despite the thin frame. Her skin was a pale white; decorated with laugh lines and distinguished crows’ feet, and heavy bags sat under her eyes. And those eyes, they were like nothing Camila had ever seen before. Stunning pools of rich vibrant gold that shone as the light hit them. And she had a golden fang to match the eyes. Her hair was bright orange with streaks of white and grey running through it, like streaks of lightning. And she held this air of excitement, danger, and something Camila couldn’t exactly place…
But both women couldn't help the odd sense of familiarity as they looked at the other. But that would be impossible, they would have remembered if they'd met before.
One thing was for certain, as both women fixed their eyes on the other the same thought flashed through their minds.
‘I need to know more about you.’
“Mami! Mami!”
The sound of an excited toddler snapped the two out of the haze they had settled into. Looking down they saw Luz, bouncing up and down excitedly. She was pointing up towards Edas’ staff, whilst looking towards her Mami.
“Mami look! It’s that owl we were following!”
As Camila looked toward the staff, she realized that Luz was right, it was the same owl. But now it was made of wood and stood atop a tall wooden staff.
“Ok, who are you two?” Eda's voice cut through the air.
Started Camila did the first thing that came to her mind in the moment. “I’m so sorry,” which was to apologize. The two of them had sort of just wandered into here which was a little rude. Taking a deep breath, she introduced herself and her daughter. “I’m Camila and this is my daughter Luz!”
Eda, upon seeing how flustered Camila had flashed them a toothy grin. Looks like Owlbert inadvertently brought back something more interesting than the normal bits of junk. Sure, they had wandered into the back of her shop but hey, Eda wasn’t exactly the one to care. If nothing got taken at least.
It was at this moment she realized the little girl was staring intensely at her. She knelt to look them in the eye, “Something you want to say kiddo?” Eda asked the curious-looking child.
Kids had no real concept of filters, instead, just asking or saying whatever comes to mind. And Luz was that to an extreme. Camila often found herself answering any number of odd questions her Luz would ask. But even that wouldn’t prepare her for what her little girl would say next.
“Are you a witch?”
“Luz!” Camila quickly snatched up her daughter worried the little girl had said something to offend the tall mysterious woman.
To her surprise, the woman just snorted and let out a short laugh.
Wiping away a tear Eda shot Luz a smile. “You’re a perceptive little brat,” Eda ruffled Luz's hair. “Yep, I’m a witch.” Eda grabbed her staff and twirled it, striking a pose for a little flourish. “And not just any witch,” she held her staff up before slamming the but into the ground. “I’m Eda the Owl Lady! The most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles!”
Both Luz and Camila's eyes went wide, as streaks of lighting whipped around Eda. To Luz, she looked awesome, and luz wanted to spend time with her to learn how to be a witch. To Camila, she looked stunning and incredibly beautiful.
“Does that mean you have a witchy hut you live in?” Luz asked in that way excited children tend to. Bouncing on her heels as she stared up at Eda, with wide eyes and a smile.
“Well, not a hut but I do have a nice house in the woods.”
“I wanna see it!” Luz yelled out.
“Luz… cariño, that’s not polite.” Camila tried her best to teach Luz good manners but… well kids are kids you know. Truth be told, Camila was also interested in seeing Eda’s house, it was probably as interesting as the woman who owned it. Camila didn’t feel comfortable asking something like that though, afraid it would come off as too forward. Luckily, Luz had no concept of those sorts of social graces, which Camila silently thanked her for.
“Sorry, Mami…” Luz looked down dejectedly.
“It’s ok el cariño, just need to remember to say please when asking for stuff.” Eda was caught off guard by the way Camila talked to Luz. It was so warm and loving but held a sense of firmness. Like she cared for the little girl unconditionally and talked to her rather than at her. Like she saw her daughter not as a thing to take care of but as a full person, something a lot of people in Eda’s experience failed at doing. It was a small thing, but Eda admired it and found it unconsciously burrowing its way into her heart.
The little girl took a deep breath, lightly tapping the shoulder of her mami to be let down. She walked over to Eda, looking up at her. Eda couldn’t help but smile at how adorable the little tyke was, especially trying to look that serious. “Could we please come to see your witchy house, miss Eda?” Luz tried speaking with all the confidence and formal etiquette a three-and-a-half-year-old could manage. Which for the first part was quite a lot, and for the latter… not so much.
Eda looking down at the Luz couldn’t help giving them a warm smile, there as just something about this kid that Eda liked. Normally she wouldn’t even think of entertaining something like this, other than messy hook-ups Eda hadn’t had anyone over in a good while. But something about these two intrigued Eda. She wasn’t one to care about stuff like fate, but it felt like the two of them wandering through her portal was meant to happen. Plus, a small part of Eda did want to learn more about Camila, so inviting them over couldn’t hurt right? “You know what? Sure, why not. Be nice to have company over for once.”
“Yay!!!” Luz started jumping for joy. “We’re going to the Witchy House! ~ We’re going to the Witchy House! ~ We’re going to the Witchy House! ~….” Luz feeling incredibly exuberant started singing happily.
“Is she going to be doing that for a while?” Eda asked. Her eyebrow cocked as she pointed at Luz.
“No, she should try herself out in a little bit,” Camila let out a sigh as she gave her daughter a warm but tired smile. She would tell Luz to say thank you, but the little girl was far too caught up in her little tune at this point.
“Eda the Owl Lady!”
Everything happening at Eda’s stall started attracting more attention. No one was coming to buy anything, but people would stop to glance over and talk about what has happened, and the sound of a little girl singing happily had been the thing to drag the attention of the coven guards.
“Oh great, and here I was hoping to have a day where I didn’t have to deal with you chumps.” Eda gave her staff a twirl as she began to put things away. Hearing a click, Camila turned around to see the door closing before folding up. “Well, looks like you’re in luck. I can take you to my place right away.”
“Really?!” Luz asked excitedly. Her eyes were mesmerized by the fact she was seeing actual genuine magic.
“Yep, just need to take care of one thing…”
“Eda the Owl Lady, you are under arrest for the following. Selling without a license; thievery, vandalism, pick-pocketing, practicing wild magic-“
Before the guard could continue Eda slapped the top of her staff into his head. His legs bowed and they crumpled to the ground unconscious. Unfortunately, more guards were already on the way. Luckily Eda’s stall was all packed up.
Camila looked on in confusion and light horror. What had she gotten herself and Luz into? This was a wanted criminal, and they were about to go to her place. Though something gnawed at Camila, telly her that despite being a criminal Eda didn't feel dangerous.
“Alright, kiddo can you do me a favour and hold onto your mom?” Eda asked Luz who quickly ran to her Mami. As Camila picked up Luz, she felt Eda’s strong arms grab her. Eda hoisted the two of them onto her staff.
“Wait what are you doing-“
Once Eda thought they were settled enough, she leaped onto her staff. And in an instant, they were off.
The sounds of Camila's panic screams and Luz's giggles of joy and elation echoed down to the market square. As they flew over the town towards the dense forest.